“The dressing rooms smelled like urine”: Juan Cruz Real criticizes the Sierra Nevada Stadium and regrets a fight between fans

Unión Magdalena hosted Barranquilla Junior on Saturday night, April 23, as part of matchday 17 of the BetPlay League, a match that was starred by the bad behavior of the fans of the 'cyclone', who faced violently against the fans of the rival team, thus leaving several injured.

Around the 73rd minute, there began to be evidence of brawls among the fans present in the eastern and northern stands. Later, the game was stopped by central judge Éder Enrique Vergara when the score went 1-1 with goals from Enrique Serje and Stiwar Mena. And, due to the seriousness of the events, both the players and the arbitration corps rushed to take refuge in the stadium's dressing rooms in the face of the imminent invasion of the field by the angry crowd.

After these acts of violence, the coach of the Barranquilla team, Juan Cruz Real, gave a press conference in which he called on football fans to enjoy football in peace and rejected any act that violates the integrity of another person.

In addition, he complained about the state in which the facilities of the Sierra Nevada stadium are located. “The bad court, the dressing rooms where we arrived, with the smell of urine, unpresentable and without water. If we want to improve football in Colombia, this is not possible, then what can I talk about the game. I am hurt because we talk about wanting to improve, I am a foreigner, but I consider myself Colombian and the truth is that going through this hurts”.

To conclude, he said: “I am hurt by what we had to live. From a dressing room, which is not suitable, even unhealthy because if it is not neat, players can have diseases. The state of the field is very bad. I give credit to my footballers for the context that was given. There were a lot of things that went against seeing a great show and the worst thing was what happened in the end.”

For his part, Enrique Serje, Junior player, commented that he did not understand why violence was reached on the sports arenas.

In addition, he added: “Tolerance is needed, so football questions take a back seat. Just because we support different teams, doesn't mean we have to kill each other. We don't gain anything from that. That stains a lot what our football is. As I said, children are coming, there are some who come for the first time, what does a father say to a child of these”.

Serje concluded by asking that, “I hope that the people who initially provoked the incident will become a little aware and realize that it is not a damage they do to each other, but that it is something very big, that goes beyond that. Tolerance is needed and too much because this was reflected”

After learning that there were several injuries in the clashes between the fans of Unión Magdalena and the Barranquilla Junior, the mayor of Santa Marta, Virna Johnson, spoke about this and offered a reward to identify who started the fight.

“How sad that they can't enjoy football in peace. We report 3 detainees and offer up to 5 million rewards for information to identify those responsible for initiating this embarrassing event. Santa Marta deserves respect. I ask the judicial authorities for EXEMPLARY consequences,” said the official.

He added, “I will be watching for investigations to produce results and those responsible pay. We arranged with the Police and the Army a whole deployment of uniformed personnel and the party was lived with peace of mind. You cannot put one watchman per person, it requires the good behavior of EVERYONE. We reject violence and harm to a public good of all samariums.”

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